


Tooth, Claw and Magic

by HopelessStar



Series: Tooth, Claw And Magic [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, As in his ACTUAL arm!, Basically everyone is a supernatural, Demons are a thing, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Is there even a norm?, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Lots of Supernatural races, M/M, Maybe some blood/gore, My version may be a bit different than the norm?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Shiro has his arm!, Soulmates, Tags May Change, Violence, Werewolf Keith (Voltron), Werewolf Shiro (Voltron), Werewolves, Witches, freeform soulmates?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 19:42:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14292033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopelessStar/pseuds/HopelessStar
Summary: The world as we know it is a play of light and shadows. Not everyone cares to look, but even the shadows have an even darker core. Those stories you heard as a child, about the things that go bump in the night? They are very much real, and very much the center of their own world. Teeth are bared, claws are drawn, and magic lingers.Welcome to the Otherworld. A shadowed world of beasts, magic and secrecy. Enter Lance, a boy who finds himself thrown into the middle of it all. Will he run with the wolves, or flee from them instead? It's about time he figures out just how he fits into this slice of chaos.Inspired by Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series, with my own twists the keep the Voltron Crew on their toes.





	1. World building and Lore

The world is not normal as people think it is. Where there is light, there are shadows. And where there are shadows, there are secrets. And being a supernatural, is the biggest secret of all. Humans are not the only ones that roam the planet, and these beings are cloaked in mystery. A mystery that few humans believe, and fewer know.

 Werewolves roam in Packs, Witches huddle with their covens, and many others hide from prying eyes. Though some refuse to hide. Even in the shadows there is good and bad.

 And the bad, is about to get worse. Shadows only stay in the dark for so long.

  
This fanfiction is based heavily upon the Otherworld Series written by Kelley Armstrong, but with some of my own twists and turns. And of course the Voltron cast takes center stage. The main point of view will be from Lance, though there will be some switching and it will be from Keith’s instead. The lore will be updated as chapters come out, keeping it so that the lore only shows the information that either Lance or Keith know. It is safe to assume that almost everyone in this story will be a supernatural, but I also want to keep some humans into the mix.

 I have a loose story line of what I’d like to do, but I’m also open to suggestions. This is my first actual fan fiction, so please, constructive criticism is welcome. The goal is to have this story updated once every two weeks on Wednesday.

 

\----------------------------

 

**Lance McClain**

Male, Bisexual, 5”8’, 21

Lance is a young man of Cuban descent, though he was born and raised in the America's unlike his parents. He is the third youngest of the family, with two older sisters, one older brother and two younger brothers. He also has two nieces and two nephews, all five years or younger. Charlie is the youngest at two. Lance himself stands at 5”8’, and his physique is quite lean even with his 21 years of age.

His mother is quite a spiritual person, and while Lance does not actively pray like she does, he does believe in the unknown. He is a firm believer in natural energies, such as the energies from stones and plants. He can be quite knowledgeable about the properties of certain stones. In his free time he likes to make jewelry be it from bits of wood, leather, string or stone. He is very versatile in his craft and does most things by hand rather than using machines to do it. He sometimes sells his work for money, preferring to wear most of it and gives or sells them to the people he deems need it the most. For a job, he doesn't do anything solid, preferring to work part time at various jobs.

 

**Keith Kogane**

Male, Homosexual , 5”6’, 21

Not even Keith knows just what his heritage is. Him and Shiro only know that he was given the name Keith from an orphanage. He was given the surname Kogane from Shiro and his family. Not much is known about Keith, other than he was passed from foster home to foster home until he came to Shiro and his family took him in at 7 years old. Even with the care from Shiro's mother and father Keith did not grow much. He is only 5"3', though it is clear he works out. He isn't overly built like Shiro, but his muscles are toned, and he is strong.

Some of it comes from his werewolf metabolism, the rest just comes from the need to exert as much energy as possible. He isn't a born werewolf like Shiro, but he isn't exactly newly turned either. Shiro himself bit Keith back when he was, hoping that it would help Keith after an accident that nearly lost Keith the use of his leg. Shiro was not aware of the whole turning process, but his mother took over to help Keith. Thankfully with the accelerated werewolf healing Keith was able to recover, though he still bears the bite mark as a scar on his leg. Even though he has been a werewolf for 5 years now, at the age of 21 he still has his own issues that have affected his transition. He doesn't like to speak of it, and so far only Shiro, Allura and Coran know the full details behind Keith's reaction to the change.

But as it stands, Keith doesn't have full control yet, and it is uncertain if he ever will. He is trying his hardest.

 

**Hunk Garrett**

Male, Heterosexual, 6”0’’, 21

Hunk in general is just a big teddy bear of a guy. He is pretty tall at 6"0', and he gives the best hugs. He can be quite cuddly as well.

His backstory is one of the simplest of the gang. He has known Lance since they were practically babies, so that means around 21 years of friendship between the two. They are brothers in all but blood, and their parents would not have it any other way. The two balance each other well. Lance gets Hunk to be a little less shy and actually get out, while Hunk calms Lance and settles him down.

Hunk's passion is cooking, though he is also good with electronics. He can be quite helpful with vehicles and fixing them up, but he knows better than to handle programming and such. He'll leave that to Pidge. He knows of the supernatural community, but has no real part in it other than Shay. 

 

**Shay Balmara**

Female, Bisexual, 5”9’, 22

Shay is a perfect match for Hunk. She is about just as big as Hunk, only being like three inches shorter than him at 5"9'. Her build isn't exactly what you call feminine, but she is still beautiful. Her shoulders are broad, and her arms are quite muscled. She only works out occasionally, but it is clear that she gets out often enough. Her skin tone is right between Hunk and Lance, though she has a more olive hue to her skin than brown.

Her hair is quite long, and is practically always tied up into a long braid. The strands themselves are a dark chocolate brown, only a touch lighter than Hunk's. Her eyes can be startling to those unprepared. Technically they are considered brown, but they are so light and golden that they are almost startling yellow other than the dark flecks of true brown. Another very noticeable thing is her ears. They are pierced, but she always wears thick metal hoops.

Shay is her own oddity, and has some odd interests. Her favorite treat is chocolate covered bugs, and she has a 'habit' of forgetting where she put them last. Depending on the kind of bug, Hunk has accidentally found them, forgot what they were suppose to be and tried them to figure it out. Similar to Lance's mother she is quite spiritual and Lance can often hear her meditating or praying in their room. Sometimes Lance can hear her say other things in other languages he doesn't recognize, but he hasn't brought it up to her.

 

**Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane**

Male, Heterosexual, 6”2’, 26

Like most of the group, Shiro's parent came over to the America’s to start a family. Shiro's mother was japanese and she left her home country. Shiro is the product of her falling in love with an American man. Though she had no idea just what she had gotten into. She found out the hard way about the supernatural community.

Shiro was born a werewolf, and tradition stated that any children sired by werewolves were to be taken away from their mothers. Only Shiro's mother found out about supernaturals, so Shiro was allowed to stay with her. His childhood was normal for the most part, his werewolf features didn't take shape until he was older. He went to public school until his first Change, then he was homeschooled until he was able to control himself again.

He was 11 when he first Changed, and he was 12 when Keith was adopted into the family. Shiro didn't understand why they took in a human, other than his mother felt bad for the poor boy. Thankfully Shiro had a Pack to run with, and his father had already taught him how to control the Changes. Keeping being a werewolf was easy. Keith rarely came out of his room anyhow. But still Shiro grew close to Keith, and soon they actually acted like brothers. There was an accident though. Keith found Shiro in wolf form as he hunted.

Poor 16 year old Keith had no way to defend himself as he ran right between a 21 year old Shiro who was going in for the kill. Keith was hurt badly, and Shiro, not knowing what else to do decided to try turning him. The process was awful, but his mother took over and was able to help Keith through the process. Keith has been Shiro's pack ever since.

As of Chapter 1, Lance is unaware of the history between Shiro and Keith, he just knows they are brothers.

 

**Katie “Pidge” Holt**

Female, Not Interested, 5”1’, 16

There is only one person more odd than Shay, and that would be Pidge. Some people call her Katie, but the nickname Pidge has caught on and she likes it. She enjoys spending time alone, and is more often than can be found in her garage turned studio.

Her greatest passion is electronics. She has a near uncanny ability with anything electronic. Even in frustration she is able to get it to do what she wants. But usually she will go to Hunk or Matt first, getting their opinion and changing her plan accordingly. 

Matt is her brother, and as much as she isolates herself sometimes she is also good friends with Hunk and Lance. She is a very perceptive person, not much gets past her.

Just because she likes to be alone, does not mean she is any less of a friend. She knows how to tease, and is known for being quite relentless. Pidge is sarcastic, and throws comments around like they were daggers at times. She can be especially stubborn, and has a temper.

 

**Matthew Holt**

Male, Heterosexual, 5”9’, 20

Matt is one of the most consistent family Pidge has. He is the one who gave her the nickname 'Pidge' to begin with. He is just as sharp witted as Pidge, and is just as intelligent.

Matt is a very supportive person, more than happy to raise people up and praise them for their accomplishments. While he can be quite cowardly, or fearful when it comes to most form of conflict, he doesn't let it bug him for long. Matt is that little ray of sunshine that won't let anything taint him. Matt is always interested in new things, and perhaps digs much more than he needs to. Sometimes he doesn't mean it but he just pries into people's problems and makes them his own in an effort to help. Just like his sister, he is very perceptive. Especially when it comes to whether to trust people or not.

With a father than was constantly away, and a mother who already had two children and a dog to care for, Matt took it upon himself to help. He was the best big brother a girl could hope for.

 

**Allura Smythe**

Female, Heterosexual, 5”8’, 25

Allura is gorgeous, both inside and out. She holds herself with grace and is dignified. She is a kind soul, preferring to not take part in violence and finding a diplomatic solution to things.

She is a teacher at the local elementary school, and as much as the kids try to push her buttons she doesn't let it show. When problems arise she can be quite authorative, and both the children and other teachers respect just how she can handle the kids and all the situations they can get into.

She is quick to scold when it is needed, but she is just as quick to nurse wounds. Allura is a calming influence to most, and it is quite easy to put her as a mother figure. She is naturally caring and is more often than not there for those in need.

Allura lost her father, Alfor, when she was 17. Coran was her father's best friends and took Allura in, adopting her to become her legal guardian. It was the least he could do, and Allura treats him like a father figure to her.

 

**Coran Smythe**

Male, Heterosexual, 5”11’, 42

Coran may not seem to be the most serious person on the planet, but he is still in general a good guy. He erratic, and energetic even though he is starting to get a little older. He sure doesn't act his age. He is very dramatic, his hands constantly moving when telling a story, or in general just accentuating his words. He loves using metaphors and exaggerating to be more entertaining.

Beneath his seemingly flippant exterior he can be quite serious. He is a very sympathetic person, not the kind to dismiss the needs of others. He is quite knowledgeable about random facts and is very literate. He is very protective, especially of Allura and is very cautious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to my friends, who not only proofread for me. But encouraged me to put this up!
> 
> Wandering Minstrel  
> Redwerecat  
> AmberyWhitey  
> HTFNoelle  
> FreeDivePoseidon


	2. An Introduction of Sorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of moving, and maybe a sour new friend. At least Lance gets a warm welcome from those who matter. Because no, he doesn’t count the rather sour welcome from his new ‘neighbor’. Time to give this new home a shot.

Once upon a time was for fairy tales, for bedtime stories. This was neither of those things. This was reality. Lance's reality to be exact. Everything had been turned on its head, and things were looking dark. He just had yet to realize that he was descending into the shadows.

This town didn't have much in common where he lived before. He used to live in a big city. Loud, messy, a typical modern jungle. Now this, this was nice. Smaller, cozier, homey. This was one of those little specks of a town you blink a few times while driving by and you miss it. Everyone knows practically everyone else, and on a first name basis for the most part. It was intimidating to be a newcomer to a town like. Everyone knew you were knew, and Lance didn't feel like he belonged, even if the people he was introduced to were welcoming enough.

"You really don't mind Hunk? I could probably find my own place you know." Lance's tone was worried. Even though Hunk was his bestest friend on the planet, he still had a girlfriend. And Hunk was an affectionate guy. They were bros, but Lance didn’t want to impose on their relationship. It just wasn’t fair.

“We already talked it on the whole drive here.” A soft, maybe slightly annoyed sigh. “No, both Shay and I don’t mind if you live with us. In fact, you’ll probably liven the place up! It’s getting a little dull with just the two of us. Not counting Pidge of course, she only really comes up for food anyhow. You know how she is with all of her computers and stuff.” A soft eye roll from the taller, and more muscled boy. “Plus, are you really sure you should have stayed? Your parents have been trying to nudge you out of your house for… just how many years?” Hunk raised an eyebrow, walking down the hall and putting the box down in what was now Lance’s room.

“C’mon pal! We both know you were getting too cooped up in their basement, and your older siblings were all moving on. It was time to go Lance. You can still easily see them too! It’s just another…. Nine? Ten hour drive? And they can drive here too. You know they will stop by every so often!”  
“I know, I know!” Lance let out an exasperated sigh as he also put his own box down.

“And after your last break up, and that fight with Sophia, you _really_ needed to get out of there.”

“I said I know Hunk! I don’t need you to big brother me right now! I need some help with the last of these boxes.” Lance smirked, a small lift at the corners of his mouth. It wasn’t as bright as it could have been, his eyes didn’t show the same emotion.

“Right! Right! On it!” Hunk assured before he was hurrying out of the room.

Lance needed a moment, several moments to get his thoughts back in order. He didn’t look, just felt around for his unmade bed so that he could take a seat. There weren't even pillows on it yet. Just a black wooden bed frame, a box spring and the actual mattress. It was a queen size at least, so a good size as he lay back on it. His head almost hit a wall, but he didn’t care. He stared up at the ceiling, a frown on his lips and a sad look in his eyes. This was not home, not yet. Glow in the dark stars did not litter the ceiling, his posters did not clutter the wall. There wasn’t the usual banter of his youngest siblings as they played, or the clatter of utensils as dinner was prepared. Home had never been quiet, there was _always_ something going on. His head tilted to the side to look out the window, even that spoke of change. He never got such a lovely view of the sky. It was still light out, a quick cell check told him it was 3 in the afternoon.

With that view, if it became dark enough he would get a good view of the stars. That would be nice. Lance rolled over onto his stomach, staring at the wall for a moment as he awkwardly hung off of the bed, burying his nose in it as he fought off tears. It still smelled like home, warmth. He knew that it had been time to move, and his parents had encouraged it, but he hadn’t known just how hard it was going to be.

Another sigh. A slow, deep breath. He rolled onto his stomach, pushing his arms under him to push off of the bed. There were still boxes and bags that he needed to get inside. He could go back to wallowing later.

 

Some time later, and several trips later Lance’s ‘room’ was filled with boxes, all stacked and organized in the corner. Light stacked on top of heavy to prevent any further breakage. They already had an incident that had chipped the corner of his bed frame when Hunk had not pivoted enough to get it up the stairs safely. The same thing had happened to both the box spring, and the mattress, but both were fine. Both were meant to take a beating. Hooray for padded edges!

The desk that was brought in thankfully didn’t meet the same fate. It was taken a part and was in more manageable pieces. Lance was pretty sure that was the only reason it had been spared.

A bunch of time after that was spent putting the desk together. Lance and Hunk working together to get it up quickly. A bookshelf joined the large corner desk, by that time the room was starting to look more livable and less of an empty space. In the background they could hear Shay getting an early start on dinner.

“Mind if I go to join her?” Hunk raised an eyebrow.

“Nope, go for it bud. The rest is up to me anyhow.” Lance smiled, wide and bright. It wasn’t like Hunk wanted to help him sort through his clothes, and there was no way anyone would be allowed to touch his craft supplies. All the big stuff was moved. He would much rather be alone to do the rest. It wasn’t enough to keep his hands busy, his mind needed to be occupied too. Unpacking couldn’t do that, and he wished he had gotten Hunk to stay. Hunk didn’t need to deal with this, he had already done a lot in helping Lance move. He didn't need to see Lance fighting off tears yet again. Crying in the truck was bad enough.

This was a big change, huge even! Lance wasn't even sure if he could handle this. He was very family oriented, and he was used to taking care of his younger siblings most days. He was used to the noise, the hustle and bustle of family life.

And here.... It was just the three of them. And this wasn't exactly a small place.

Once he sat and just listened, he could hear the bit of noise from the kitchen. The crisp sound of a knife cutting through vegetables. The clinking of a pot as it was put on the stove, the rush of water as it filled something. But it was still a lot quieter than he was used to.

But, this was his new home. And he needed to suck it up and get used to it!

So, he set about making this room his own. The light boxes were moved so that he could deal with most of the heavy stuff first. Books were set on the bookshelf, decorations were set out, poster put up on the walls. When Hunk came in to let him know dinner was done, he was in the middle of putting glow in the dark stars up on the roof. A book with constellations open as Lance tried to replicate the positions.

It was chicken and rice for dinner. The rice had a sweetness to it from coconut milk, that balanced out the spices from the chicken. It was delicious, and messy, and there was nothing quite like having dinner with friends. Especially making fun of said friends.

At least Lance had enough patience to wait until Hunk was neither in the middle of a drink, or had a bite of food in his mouth. It was very difficult to time. And eventually, Lance couldn't wait much longer.

"So... should I be worried about hearing any... _nightly activities_?" Lance asked, eyes partially lidded and lips quirked up into a grin.

Hunk still ended up spluttering. Shay's reaction was more mild, wide eyes of shock before she burst out into giggles. Hunk continued with his embarrassed spluttering, stalling for time he took a big swig of his drink.

"No need to worry about that. We have already tested the sound proofing. It's sufficient." Shay spoke up instead, earning some more embarrassed choking from Hunk before he just groaned.

"I'm going to pretend that I don't know either of you." He groaned again, hiding his face by placing his forehead against the table. His complaint was only met with chuckles before Shay was actually picking up the conversation again.

"The sound proofing is not overly bad. if you press your ear to the door or walk down the hallway you might hear something. But even if you blast music from your room we'll be able to hear the beat, and get the impression of words but won't be able to hear them clearly. If that makes sense?" Shay supplied. She wasn't as embarrassed as Lance thought she would, but the information was useful.

"I can deal with that, totally. Just fair warning, I do listen to music when I'm making anything, even if it's late at night. I have a bad habit of losing track of time, especially when it comes to jewellery and stones."

"Speaking of, do we have to worry about big machinery or dust?"

"Nope! I've been doing it in my room for awhile and I have a specific set up. I have a tumbler which doesn't make too much racket. And I do most of grinding or chipping by hand. I work with smaller pieces already broken up so it doesn't make too much of a mess." And Lance continued on about his hobby. Shay was intrigued enough to listen.

Lance liked to make certain kinds of jewelry from time to time. Sometimes he eve sold it, but it was still more of a hobby. Often he wove strips of leather or string together for himself. But he also enjoyed taking wooden beads and setting bits of stones or shell into them. It was more work, but sometimes he also bore holes into stones to make beads instead.

Most of his stones came to him as chips, bits and pieces too small for other people to work with. Another thing he liked doing was using resin, making a mixture with shards of stone and colored dye. Pouring that into molds made interesting beads and charms.

So he continued talking about the process to Shay in between bites of food. Hunk was interested to, more so because he liked seeing his friend talk so passionately about his hobby. Lance's artistic side never got enough attention.

"So, about the Cafe? What are we doing with that?" Lance was rather concerned. He remembered discussing the option of it, but not exactly what would be done about it.

"Oh, that's easy!" Hunk laughed, his more nonchalant attitude soothing Lance's nerves. "We'll pay you for however long you help out, though if you jump in, it would be nice if you stayed at least two hours. But all we would get you do to is make sandwiches and drinks. Of which we will teach you how. Shay and I will handle the soups, and you will likely get to do some cleaning and stocking. Nothing I don't think you can handle. As for rent, we'll give you a couple weeks to settle down, and find a job if you don't want to work at the cafe full time, then we'll worry about rent."

And with that settled, everyone visibly relaxed even further. There was no pressure, no immediate need for rent. This was just a friend helping his best bud. Lance could not of been happier that Hunk was his best friend.

"Have I told you that I love you, Hunk, my man?" Lance asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Not within the last thirty minutes. But don't lay it on too thick or Shay will get jealous!" Hunk smiled. Then all of them burst out laughing.

Yeah, nothing was better than harassing your friends.

 

\----------------------------

 

Now his reality was much different. There was no such thing as peace, there was always something wrong. As if being a werewolf wasn’t bad enough. An anguished howl tore itself from his throat.

He was a wolf, and he was in pain. The worst kind of pain. He was alone, without a proper Pack to call his own. The black wolf cried out again, his ears pressing back against his skull. Two wolves was not a pack. He wanted, needed more. His cries did not go unanswered as the only family he had left joined him. Another black wolf, laced with a white tuft upon his forehead, and patches almost like bracers upon all four of his limbs His tail was also tipped with white as if dipped in paint.

The other male rubbed himself against his brother, trying to soothe his distress. A lick to the muzzle, a soft rumble in his chest. No luck. The raven black wolf snapped, teeth catching fur and tearing some from the overcoat of the other. He blinked rapidly, as if just realising what he had done.

He whined, a sad and pitiful sound. Then he ran. Not home, he didn't want to be there. He needed a safe place. Home wasn't safe, he would just snap at his brother again. Another howl ripped through the air, this one even more pained than the last. He felt so lost.

 

\----------------------------

 

It was already getting dark, and the wind was a little chilly. But that didn't stop Lance's need for some fresh air. It was just past nine at night. Everyone else was already in their homes, and shops were closed. Turned out in small cities stuff closed early.

That he could understand. Spending time with one's family was important. And someone needed to make dinner, and that was usually done around six or seven. So most places closed around four or five. That also meant the cafe closed around that time. Things opened at nine in the morning though. Which meant getting up early. Oh well, it still left plenty of time after dinner to do things.

Such as unpacking! His clothes were already hung up, and his room was already looking like his. Lance's corner desk was already littered with half organized craft supplies, and a folder with designs and ideas he wanted to do. But one could only be cooped up in his room for so long.

Hunk had already pointed out the park nearby. Of course his best friend already knew that he would like to run, or at least walk. The park was well maintained, Lance could already tell that much as he walked through the open gate. A sign said the park closed at eleven at night, so that meant someone had to be around.

So far, the park was empty. It was dark enough that the street lamps flickered on. The birds had already quieted down, but the silence was oddly peaceful. There was a gentle breeze, shaking the trees and rustling the leaves. On the breeze Lance could smell the crisp smell of the trees mixed with the sprinkling of rain that had gotten.

He was told there was also a couple pools, but they were too far for him to get too right now. Plus, he would then need to have a shower, and he doubted he would have enough energy to do so after a swim. So, he just walked.

The sky may have been dark, but it was still light near the horizon, he could just make out the lighter blue against the trunks. Given another half an hour he was sure the sky would be completely dark. The fact that he was alone, almost made the whole thing magical. Or, he thought he was alone at least. He was heading towards an intersection in the path when the wind picked up. It battered at his back, throwing a bunch of his hair into his face. It was cold against his skin where the wind billowed through his clothes, causing him to gasp in surprise. The flapping of the fabric sounding loud and sudden before the wind calmed down.

"Are you alright?" A male voiced asked, catching Lance's attention. So, he wasn't as alone as he thought. That didn't stop him from smiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The wind caught me off guard is all." His cheeks flushed a little, an odd pressure filling his chest as he blinked and just looked. This guy had dark hair that was getting quite long. Locks of raven black hair framed his face and curled at the ends where they lay against his neck. And his eyes. Lance couldn't call them blue, but they were definitely a little grey. A greyish indigo? Was that even possible? Damn was it a pretty color though.

His cheeks only flushed darker as he realized he was staring.

The other guy was staring too. And were his nostrils flaring? He did seem to be taking in deep breaths.

"What about you? Did my beautiful face catch you off guard?" Lance smirked, eyes glinting his mischief.

"Actually, yes. Most people are home by now... I wasn't expecting to see anyone on my run." If Lance's flirting had caused any sort of reaction, the guy sure wasn't showing it. His face was schooled into something meant to be neutral, but almost looked pained. There was a glimmer in his eyes, but Lance could not tell what it was. One thing he did know, was that it felt like there was something literally something pulling him towards this guy. And he felt his body swaying slightly as if encouraging him to get closer.

"Oh. I didn't mean to interrupt. My name's Lance, I just moved to town." His cheeks flushed again as he held out his hand. How could he not tell the guy was out for a run? The red t-shirt and black track pants should have given it away, if he had actually looked.

The guy took Lance's hand, and immediately both of them gasped as there was a literal jolt between them. Their hands pulled away quickly, the other guy shaking off the residual static.

"I'm Keith." Was all he supplied for a moment, then gave him an odd look.

Suddenly everything felt wrong, like he wasn't sure if he was meant to be here. He almost felt like he was intruding, but he couldn't find the willpower to turn away.

"Do you mind, if I join you? Just for a little bit?" Lance asked. He was embarrassed at just how shakey his voice sounded. This wasn't like him. He was suppose to be the confident charmer! Those words were practically his middle name. It almost didn't feel right to let his insecurities show. And there went Keith's nose again! Lance just had to assume he was still catching his breath. He had been running after all.

"Sure." Keith replied, but it was quick. Almost too quick. Had he even thought about his reply? His expression remained neutral, but he still turned to continue down the path he had been going. Lance jogged to catch up before falling into a walk beside him. He felt self conscious and was well aware of just how much space was between them. Sometimes their elbows or the sides of their hand brushed each other.

"So, do you come here often?" Of all the things to ask, he just had to ask that. How cheesey would he get?

Keith laughed. His shoulders shook, and the laugh rang out like music. His lips quirked up a little into a smile.

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Keith mirrored Lance's thoughts. "That sounds like a line from a stupid B movie!"

"Uh.. yeah. That was the point...." He paused, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. "It's a good ice breaker right?"

And just like that, things settled down between the two of them easily. Too easily. They continued talking about how ridiculous low budget movies were. The park didn't seem that big as they had already walked around half of it when the noticed the time. Their meaningless banter fell quiet.

"You shouldn't come out too often at night." Keith finally spoke up again, catching Lance off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's not safe when the sun goes down." Keith's expression started to turn serious again. The tone sparked something in Lance, he did not like being told what to do, especially from a stranger.

"Who are you? My mom?" He had intended for it to be a joke, but his tone came out sharper than he intended. His eyes flashed wide at Keith's reaction. His shoulders bunched together, nose twitching upwards slightly. Like he was trying to bare his teeth.

"Just stay away you stupid human!" His voice turned into a snarl, fists clenched tightly together. Lance reached out, trying to apologize before Keith turned on his heel and stormed away. His body was shaking, and he sprinted out of view quickly.

Lance was both scared and confused at the same time. Just what was up with Keith?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will come out April 25th!


	3. How the Fire Builds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many things still lurk in the shadows, but will that stop Lance from shining his own light on things? It’s time to do some digging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Main inspirations when writing this chapter - "Rewrite the Stars" by Zac Efron & Zendaya  
> “One Foot” by Walk The Moon  
> “Perfect Storm” by Brock Zanrosso
> 
> I just did a bit of a tag update, and I'll be adding more as they become relevant to the story.

No, no! This wasn't right! Why wasn't anything ever alright? Even as a human he could feel the need to howl budding in his chest. He already knew it would not sound right, his human vocal cords were not meant to make the sound he desired. They were not capable of expressing the emotions that threatened to break him apart.

His legs were already burning as he ran yet again. Keith fled the park. He needed to get a safe spot, away from prying eyes. His limbs were already tingling, pain blooming at his joints. He knew it was coming on quick, his anger bringing on his change. And his fear of being caught out was only making it worse. The quicker the Change went, the worse the pain became. He was just able to vault over the rock wall that lined a portion of his family's property. But it was too late. Even if he calmed himself right now, the Change was too far in.

He yowled as he hunched over. Bones cracking and shifting, fur sprouted from pores, a muzzle extended from where one should not have been. And as much as it should have hurt, it felt almost as good. If it was magic, or something more biological, Keith did not know. But many things that should not have been real, were in fact real. He had accepted that fact years ago now.

This, was his reality. A big part of his painful, messed up reality. Half human claws had not been able to remove his clothes, shredding more than removing. What wasn't removed tore under the pressure of his shifting body. Everything else was torn off with teeth after a moment of rest. He whined softly as the still very human, indigo eyes took in the ruins of his clothing. He pawed larger scraps into a pile and carefully took them into his mouth. The rest would be gathered later as he slowly did his walk of shame back to the front of his home.

A paw was almost delicately lifted to scratch at the door. Another man opened it, hair just as dark as Keith's. Other than the tuft of longer white hair that fell forward to brush his dark eyebrows. His expression was soft, worried. But without question he opened the door to let the large wolf walk in.

"I'm sorry Keith. I know I haven't been doing much to help..." He sighed, shutting the door as the wolf with the raven fur headed for the second floor.

_ You are doing much more than you think Shiro. I'm sorry…. I'm trying, I'm trying to do better. _ The soft voice spoke into Shiro's mind. The minor telepathic link between wolves was normal for them now. But Keith hated how he wasn't able to hide the despair in his mind voice.

"We'll get it figured out. I promise."

 

\----------------------------

 

Had he done something wrong? His expression was hurt, and his chest felt like something had been torn from him. That something was pulling him in the same direction Keith had run off.

He hadn't meant what he said. He had felt the mood changing, and he couldn't help but respond to the negative tone and energy that had started radiating off of Keith like heat. He had tried to make light of the situation, to disperse the heat that was going to start smothering him. Obviously, he didn't get the desired effect.

His eyes fell, gaze low to the ground instead of enjoying the scenery. His shoulders slumped, eyes dull as he slowly dragged his feet to take them back home. The process was slow, there seemed to be a constant wind in his face as if it was pushing him in the opposite direction. Once he was walking up the pathway to the house it finally settled down.

It was like the wind had a mind of it's own, but Lance just blamed it on an upcoming storm. His mind was too fogged over with guilt to notice if anything odd was even happening. He didn't even notice the prickling at the back of his neck, the feeling like he was being watched. And he didn't notice the lights still on in the garage. None of it mattered. He needed to wallow, he just wanted to climb into bed.

His movements were slow, and Hunk and Shay were already cooped up in their room. Lance was pretty sure they weren't awake with the lack of light seeping out from under the door. Plus, Hunk snored, and through the door he could hear them softly. He wanted to wake up Hunk to talk to him, but he would save it until the morning. 

  
  


His sleep hadn't been the greatest. Fitful at best, one of those sleeps where you don't remember dreaming but yet you wake up and don't feel rested. He didn't let it show though as he slipped out of his room to join the bustle in the kitchen.

"Good mornin!" Lance jumped, startling Hunk as Lance wrapped a hug around his shoulders. "Hunk my man! You are the best!" He exclaimed as he noticed the three cups of coffee already sitting on the counter. He could tell which one was his, Hunk always saved the blue mug just for him, Hunk always used yellow and he was pretty sure neither of them liked their coffee black. Or, at least apparently black.

"Shay drinks her coffee black? How badass!" Lance teased, poking Hunk's cheek as he let go, gripping his mug and sipping from it.

"Yeah, she does. There are a lot of 'odd' things she likes." Hunk elbowed halfheartedly at his best friend before claiming his own cup. "If you find a random stash of chocolates hiding somewhere, I suggest you don't just pull one out and eat it."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Well, I know for a fact there is a bag of chocolate covered ants that went missing. And she has some chocolate covered mealworms somewhere. Not to mention just the dried bugs she has sometimes." He went to go on but Lance jerkily hurried to shut his mouth.

"Uh uh uh! Nope! That's enough! Don't want to hear about bugs anymore!" Lance made a pretend gagging noise when Hunk acted like he was going to continue.

"That's suppose to be my line!" Hunk teased, jabbing at Lance this time. Which of course with Lance started a poking war. Coffee was nearly spilled as Lance perhaps got a little too rambunctious.

"How about you both just shut up?" Came a very disgruntled groan.

"Sorry Pidge, long night?" Hunk asked, giving his much smaller friend a quick once over. It was hard to not see the bags under her eyes. All he got was a grunt from the smaller girl. Lance smiled, and taking pity on her moved behind her after she sat down. Her forehead was resting against the island counter, her neck was exposed. It was easy for him to gently massage her neck, earning another, happier groan from the girl.

Just by the feel of the muscles, he could tell she had been up most, if not all of the night. They were so tense and knotted. His fingers were gently, applying pressure in small circles to work out the knot. His hands were warm too which must have helped somewhat. Without asking Pidge, he was pretty sure she had been sitting in one position for far too long.

"I'm gonna try something."

All he got was a grunt, so he took it as confirmation. So he took her neck and with a few quick movements he got it to pop. First Pidge whined in complaint as he smoothed his hands down her neck and shoulders. Then she sighed with relief. "Better?" Her cheek was resting on the island now and she nodded.

Still wary of being snapped at, Hunk inched another mug of black coffee towards Pidge. Her hand reached out, pulling it closer though her head remained on the counter. The boys quieted down, giving her a chance to sip at her coffee.

'Once this is empty, you may speak' is what the green mug said, and Hunk at least knew better than to test the waters. Each time Lance opened his mouth he got shushed near instantly. He rolled his eyes, quietly sipping at his much sweeter drink. He tried when Pidge was working on her last mouthful, and Hunk deemed it safe.

"So, where's Shay?" "Downstairs getting the soups started for today." "Oh, cool. Do you mind if I, ya know... not help out today?" "Nah, it's fine. We figured you'd want some time to actually settle in."

"Speaking of which, why where you out last night?" Pidge chimed in. The boys blinked, both of them varying degrees of shocked and horrified.

"You went  _ out _ last night?!" Hunk exclaimed, a glare from Pidge had him stuttering and shutting up quite quickly as he chugged what remained of his still hot coffee. At any other time it would have been comical how he yelped and grabbed some cold water, chugging that down to try and cool his singed tongue.

"Yeah... I went out for a quick walk last night. Needed to clear my head before bed." His eyebrow raised slightly, stiffening as the tension was palpable in the air.

"It's not a good idea to go out at night, so please don't." Pidge looked over the rim of her cup.

"And why is that?" Lance leveled a glare at her. This tension wasn't just for nothing, even if it was already starting to fade.

"It is very common for animals to wander around at night. There have been sightings of coyotes lately, and the Shirogane Estate is private property and a common place for rehabbed animals to get released. So they have seen wolves around too. Not to mention bobcats. And there is supposed to be a mountain lion somewhere but no one has actual proof." Pidge said this all matter of factly, giving him a look that he should have known this already.

"Yeah, very common to see wolves on the Shirogane Estate, that's why they walled a good portion of it, encouraging animals to move away from the town." Hunk nodded, almost too enthusiastically.

"That doesn't stop scavengers though." Pidge went to have another sip of coffee before realizing her mug was empty. She frowned at it before putting the cup back down. "So it's fine during the day because lots of human activity to keep them away, not so much at night." She finished, Hunk still nodding at the edge of Lance's vision.

Lance was still suspicious. Hunk seemed to be jumping on this explanation too quickly. Like he was grasping at straws. The tension was still a low thrum in the air, threatening to ignite again depending on his answer.

"I guess that could be a problem huh? Coyotes can be vicious little buggers."

Hunk visibly relaxed, and Pidge acted like there was nothing wrong to begin with. "That they can be. Raccoons too."

"Yeah, racoons." Lance rolled his eyes, resting his arms on the counter, hands folded under his chin as he eyed his friends. Hunk had his back to him, whipping up some omelettes. Pidge's face was impassive as she tapped her mug.

"So, what happened with school?"

Now that, was a safe subject, and Pidge dove readily into the conversation. It had been awhile since she had seen Lance. Lance, Hunk and Pidge had gone to the same high school, as well as a few other people that they knew.

Pidge had gone through elementary school quickly, graduating early. Then she had taken the same route through high school. Lance personally had not had any of the same classes with her. Hunk however had, and since Hunk was Lance's best friend they were bound to meet up eventually. And eventually had been not long after Pidge had started school with them. Lance may not have understood much of the conversations between Hunk and Pidge, but he did understand when it came to video games, food and downtime.

And that was how Lance had become Pidge's friend. He did what he did best, and that was simply be there. He helped her through numerous panic attacks, not only getting her to calm down and relax, but take her mind off of it and get her to have fun. Pidge most likely would not admit it, but Lance was sure that she was grateful. After all, Lance was the best at hugs, second only to Hunk.

"That reminds me! I ran into a guy last night at the park!" Lance spoke, mouth still full of egg which Pidge really did not want to see.

"What's his name? I probably know him." Hunk elbowed Lance, a gentle reminder to use his manners.

He swallowed in a hurry, nearly causing himself to choke. "His name was Keith. But he was really weird."

"What kind of weird?" Hunk questioned, another look of concern on his face.

"Well, he was all fine at first, we were chatting about B movies, and a bit of other random stuff. And then he decided to warn me by saying 'You shouldn't come out at night' all ominous and stuff, I was on edge but I joked about him being my mom and he got like really aggressive. He even insulted me by calling a stupid human. Like, who says that? Oh, and to begin with there was this sort of shock between us when we shook hands. Like an actual jolt. I didn't think I was that staticy." He shook his hand at the memory. It had been quite a powerful jolt, and he could still feel the impression of it on the tip of his middle finger.

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's just Keith." Pidge picked up quickly. "He's not exactly social. He has some issues, issues that are not up to us to tell you." And then Pidge gave Hunk a look, his jaw snapping shut quickly.

"Yeah, he probably didn't mean it. But Keith has some issues, but if it really bugged you that much why don't you go talk to Shiro? He is Keith's brother, and if anyone has an issue with Keith they need to go and talk to Shiro about it. It's an unspoken town rule."

Lance took a moment, blinking at Hunk. Okay, so Keith really was that weird? There was that tugging at Lance's chest again, and he really wanted to talk to Shiro. Keith wasn't a bad guy right? Just had some issues. Issues that Lance wanted prepare himself for.

"And Shiro is...?"

"He's one of the P.E. teachers at the school."

"He should be free for the lunch period. Maybe you could even help him? He teaches little kids soccer. What could be better for you? Kids. Soccer. Being the center of attention." Pide had a gleam in her eyes, a challenge. A challenge Lance was all too happy to take. He needed some sort of direction, otherwise he would just walk around the town aimlessly.

He was kind, and took some omelette down for Shay, making sure she had eaten. Then he helped prepare a bunch of the vegetables, mainly tomatoes, while she ate. She was grateful for the assistance. With a promise to stop in later, he was out the door.

  
  


So, he ended up missing lunch. 

He had walked around, getting familiarized with what shops were where, where the bulk of the other residents lived, and mainly just figuring out how to get to the school. Turns out it wasn't much further than the park, but he had taken a detour to find one of the pools. And then he couldn't find his way back to the main road. You could find anything from the main road. But one wrong turn lead to another, which lead to another, which eventually lead to a very jumpy Lance who actually screamed when one of the children took pity on him and ran into the alley to hug him.

"Are you lost?" The little girl asked the most obvious thing.

"That, I am. I just got into town yesterday." He smiled and took her hand, she was already leading him back the way he came. When the alley opened up, he looked just to the left and saw the chain link fence that surrounded the playground. How could he have been so stupid?

"I'll save you!" The girl proclaimed, holding as much of his hand as possible. She was probably around six, just the age group that Lance worked the best with. She continued tugging at his arm, forcing him to lean over a bit even with his long arms. She lead him through a narrow gap in the fence and tugged him to the swings. "Now you are safe!" She grinned brightly, missing one of her teeth.

"My savior!" He pretended to swoon, making her giggle. 

"My name is Lily! What's your's?" She asked, her brown eyes sparkling with wonder. Her brown hair tousled and looking very light in the breeze. The knees of her jeans were scuffed from play, and her shirt sported a cat and the word 'Purrr-fect!'.

"I'm Lance, I'm actually here to meet someone. Do you know where Shiro is?" He asked.

Lily's smiled faded a bit, clearly hoping he would have played with her a bit. "Shiro is in the gym." She pointed to a set of double doors across the park. And then she frowned, sitting on the swing.

Lance would have walked off if not for that look. So instead he snuck up behind her, and grabbed the swing. The movement caught her off guard, but it was slow enough she had time to grip the chain with a squeal. Then she cried out with delight as Lance pushed her, eventually joining her on the other swing. At least until the bell rang and she had to go back inside. Now Lance had missed his chance to talk to Shiro.

He went to leave the school grounds, knowing most schools didn’t like random strangers around while class was in session. He went to turn around when he got pinged in the head by a ball, and then he felt the telltale pain of another impact to his skull. His vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your support so far! I wasn't expecting this to get much attention, if any at all. It's nice to see that people are enjoying my writing. And it is actually encouraging to see your comments, so feel free to leave some more! After all, I need some ideas. How would you guys like to see Keith's werewolf secret spilled to Lance? Any particular fluffy moments you'd like to see? I know I'm still near the beginning of everything, but I could use some ideas for the next chapter.
> 
> Next update will be May 9th!


	4. The Fun Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance knows a slippery slope when he sees it, and he has a sneaking suspicion he has already started down one. He isn’t sure yet.
> 
> Keith on the other hand, knows he is falling, and he is falling hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Main inspirations when writing this chapter:  
> “Somebody to Die For” By Hurts  
> “Already Over” By Red“  
> “Perfect Storm” by Brock Zanrosso (Again, feels like a good Klance song to me! Especially right now when their emotions are starting to conflict)

His vision didn't take long to return, maybe a handful of seconds as people rushed over to him. He didn't want to open his eyes, just the light shining through his eyelids stung. Both the back of his head and forehead pulsed with each heartbeat.

"Jeremy, I told you that is not how you put the balls away." A stern voice spoke, surely it was towards a child.

"I'm sorry Shiro..."

So a kid had kicked the ball with the intent of returning it to the bin, and instead had pegged Lance square in the forehead. "Good kick though." Lance groaned as he sat up. Hands were already on his shoulders to steady him.

"That it was." The first voice lightened a bit and chuckled. "You alright though?"

"Yeah, head just hurts a bit." Another groan before Lance was blinking his eyes open. Jeremy and his mop of black hair were hovering nearby. And right in front of him must have been Shiro. Damn, was he built! Thick arms, thick legs, even clothed Lance would tell they were corded with muscles. He had a white forelock that fell to his eyebrow, the rest was black with the sides buzzed down. A thick scar decorated his nose, and more scars marred his right arm. They looked like tears, still a little pink as if they were still healing and fading. It still took a minute for his eyes to focus when he was pulled up right.

"Let's get you to the doc, make sure that the blow you took wasn't that bad."

Lance didn't exactly have the focus, or the opportunity to decline the help. Shiro already had an arm around his shoulders to steady him, and Jeremy was hurrying after them. The soccer ball in his hands now so he could properly return it to the bin.

"I'm fine, really. Just a little bonk." Little was a bit of an understatement. He had been mid step so he had lost his balance when he was hit. That was the only reason he fell. He hadn't hit the ground too hard, just enough to shake him up.

"Better safe than sorry." Shiro's voice was firm, gave no room for further argument.

Lance chuckled, giving his head a couple shakes before leaning against the welcome support. His knees only wobbled slightly, and his arms felt heavier than cement. He was even having a harder time keeping his eyes open.

"Well, when you put it that way. I guess I can suck it up." Lance smirked. Shiro huffed out a soft laugh, and Jeremy was still giving the Cuban a very concerned look. "I'm alright buddy, really. Just a little bonk. I'm feeling better already!" But not even his enthusiasm could cheer the young boy up. Jeremy's gaze was still downcast, but he still reached for Lance's hand to give it a gentle squeeze. Lance still smiled at the boy, returning the squeeze.

Jeremy only let go to open the doors for Shiro, and followed behind them until they got to the office. The bell had rung again, and the boy needed to get to his class. So he left with a sad, apologetic look to Lance.

Lance still had a half smile on his face. He had had many younger siblings in his time, and his nieces and nephews were younger. He knew how the poor boy felt. He would have to stop by later once he was better. Just to reassure Jeremy.

The main office was split by a large desk, piled with papers, phones and two computers as well as your typical office supplies. Nothing too extraordinary other than it was easy for Lance to focus on. Shiro lead him behind the counter with minimal glances in their direction. Perhaps this wasn't an odd occurrence?

Down the short hall and to the very end was a door. Held halfway open with a door stop. It was easy for Shiro to shoulder it open.

"Coran, I got a customer for you." He teased as he helped Lance sit on the cot in the room. The Coran in question was an older gentleman. Lance couldn't peg exactly how old he was other than around middle age. He had a glorious mustache and crow's feet crinkled at his eyes. And judging by the lines around his mouth, Coran smiled a lot.

"Oh? And what's the damage to this one?" He asked, turning to Lance and offering his hand. "Coran's the name, and nursing is my game." Lance smiled and shook the offered hand gently.

"I'm Lance, new to town."

"That, I already figured my boy! I know everyone around here." He grinned and elbowed Lance gently.

Shiro barely hid an eye roll before joining the conversation. "He got hit with a soccer ball to the head, got caught off balance and fell, hitting his head again on the way down."

"Any loss of consciousness?"

"My vision spotted for a few seconds, but that's it."

Several more questions were asked, Lance was given a quick exam though it was obvious what he suffered from. "Yeah, just as I thought. I'd say a grade two concussion. Going to have to take it easy Lance, probably not a good idea for you to walk home by yourself. And you especially should not be driving."

"I have a friend I can call for a ride. But he's probably pretty busy with his shop right now."

"Not a problem. You can sit in here and rest, I'll keep an eye on you."

"Actually, I was hoping I could talk to Shiro for a bit? That's the main reason I came to the school actually." Lance looked sheepish, and Shiro looked vaguely concerned.

"I was just going to set the kids lose for a game in the gym anyhow. I can keep an eye on him Coran."

"Alright then, best of luck Lance! Try to avoid anymore more balls to the head now!" Coran was already turning away, going back to whatever he was doing before Lance had needed care. Thankfully Shiro was still supportive, remaining not to far from Lance's side as he showed him the way to the gym.

The walk was blissfully quiet. Lance's ears still rung, his head still ached and the lights felt a little too bright. His balance seemed to have returned to the most part, though Shiro was still within reach should Lance need the aid. Though he only reached out once, hand resting on Shiro's more muscled arm in an attempt to slow down.

Shiro didn't seem startled, though with a glance toward Lance he figured what he needed and lessened his stride. Even with Lance's long legs, he just couldn't keep up with such a quick pace. Shiro's smile was soft and understanding. "All you had to do was say so."

Lance's smile was small and weak, his eyes were still a little shifty. It was harder to focus, to see straight. He wasn't sure how long this was going to last, but he would like it if it eased up sooner rather than later. Lance wasn't use to leaning on other people. It was usually him who was the shoulder to cry on. "It's not that bad, I just can't quite keep up with your stride." If his breathing was a tad heavier, or if Shiro was disappointed in the slower pace he didn't let on.

Once they reached the gym, the class was already there. Lance got situated on a bench. Shiro was already taking charge, getting the kids to team help and help line the spare benches on the floor, splitting the gymnasium in half. Four soccer nets were pulled out and lined up at the ends. The class was then split into four teams and Shiro let them have at it. Lance was left on a bench to the side, thankfully in the middle of the 'fields'. It would be less likely for him to get hit here, or so one would think. He hoped, he already felt bad enough as he pulled out his phone and texted Hunk.

 

_ ‘Lancey Lance’ to ‘Hunky Munky’ _

_ ‘Hey my man, ran into a bit of an issue and now I can't make it home by myself. Would you be willing to come and pick me up as soon as you get a break? I'm sorry, it was a stupid accident and I'll explain when we get back.' _

 

Lance didn't expect a reply right away, he knew his friend was busy. He might be able to come down when the lunch rush ended. And he didn't have Shay's number, but she would likely be busy as well. So either way, it would not be later until he was picked up.

Unless, maybe Keith would be willing to walk him home? If he wasn't busy, but he most likely was. And Keith was still a stranger who most likely had a bone to pick with him. Not that Lance understood just what had gone wrong. He hadn't come off as that rude... had he?

"Did you get a reply yet?"

Shiro's voice seemed much louder than the noise of the students, and it startled Lance out of his thoughts. "Oh, no. I didn't. He runs the cafe by the park, and it's the lunch rush. I doubt he'll even look at his phone until it dies down." His half smile was sheepish at best before he sighed and looked down at his hands. One thumb stroked over the nail of the other, smoothing the nail first, picking at the cuticle second.

"Oh, that cafe. You're friends with Hunk then? He's a really good cook, and a really nice guy. You're lucky to have him as a friend." Shiro continued to stand, watching over the two games in progress, though thankfully the kids were well behaved and playing fairly.

"Yeah, I feel pretty lucky to call him a friend. Do you know Hunk too?"

"A little bit. I frequent the cafe when I can. It's a little hard, but they usually have a tea and sandwich set aside for me. I always go out for an early morning run with Keith, our route goes right by their shop. Otherwise I usually stop by either there or at the bakery for a snack after work." His smile was still soft, eyes still on the students. "I didn't even ask him to do it. One day Hunk opened up the door, almost hitting me before offering me a sandwich for the road." He chuckled fondly at the memory.

"Sounds like Hunk. Always the nice guy." Lance smiled too, sighing at his own memories of Hunk. Hunk was the only reason he was here after all. And he had known Hunk for what felt like ages, he had always been a brother figure in Lance's life. And deep down, he really hoped that living with him would not ruin the relationship they had.

"Anyhow, you wanted to talk about something?" Shiro was cautious and curious. Almost like he knew what he was going to hear already.

Lance flushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Uh... Just so you know this wasn't my idea. Hunk and Pidge talked me into it." He took a breath, Shiro suddenly looking much more worried. "It's about Keith...."

Shiro instantly deflated, eyes closing and he sighed quite audibly. His hand came up, massaging the bridge of his nose, making his scar look mangled in the process. Slowly he opened an eye, giving Lance and exasperated look that was clearly not directed at Lance. "Just what, do I dare ask, did he do this time?"

So, it wasn't just Lance. Was Keith really that much of a problem? He seemed a nice enough guy, maybe a bit misunderstood. Were his issues really that bad?

"I ran into him at the park last night." Another calming breath. His heart was fluttering, and anxious pressure was building in his chest. He totally felt like he was tattling. "Everything started fine. We introduced ourselves because I startled him, did you know he has a serious static problem? I swear I've never felt a jolt that bad...." The other man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyhow, we started talking and it was fine. Just some discussion about B movies and general stuff about the town. Then he was all ominous saying that I shouldn't go out at night, that it wasn't safe when the sun went down. I was trying to joke, but I guess my tone wasn't as joking as I thought, and he got mad. He yelled at me to stay away, that I was a stupid human?"

The last part was phrased as a question. It would have been nice to get some actual answers. "Hunk and Pidge told me it was just how he insulted people, that he didn't really socialize much. That he had his own issues."

Shiro took a moment, gathering his thoughts. Composing himself.

"Keith didn't have the easiest childhood. He didn't have many decent parental figures in his life, let alone any that stuck around for any length of time. He was sent from school to school. He eventually stopped making friends, and now he doesn't totally understand how to communicate with people. He was lucky if he stayed with one family for a year before he caused issues at school or at home. And of course it only got worse as he got older. He joined my family when he was seven. But even then he didn't open up to us, thinking he would just send him away again. It took three years before he warmed up to us." Shiro paused, letting that information sink in. Lance had his full attention on Shiro, taking in everything.

"Even for a seven year old, he was quite jaded and aggressive." A fond chuckle. "In a sense, he is still that little boy. Wanting to reach out but not knowing how."

Lance may not understand what that felt like, your world constantly getting flipped head over heels like a meaningless coin. But there was one thing Lance understood, and that was wanting to reach out.

"I'm willing to give him a chance."

Shiro startled. His eyes were a wide, mouth agape. Lance only looked at Shiro with his peripheral vision as the ball edged a little too close for his liking. Was it that much of a shock? Perhaps Hunk hadn't been exaggerating as much as he thought. Everyone treated Keith like an outsider.

"You mean it?"

"Yes." The reply was quick and needed no further thought. Eventually Shiro picked his jaw up off of the floor and smiled before going back to watching the games.

 

\----------------------------

 

A mouse clicked rapidly, a brief pause followed by a slightly higher pitched click and then another pause. Then fingers were typing away quickly at the keys, a tempo full of bursts and pauses as thoughts were have formed, deleted and rewritten. Not that his thoughts were what mattered as he scoured the internet for the kinds of sources Allura was looking for. Usually this process went quicker. Keith already knew what Allura wanted, was even already given the gist of the paper she wanted to write.

But every few minutes his fingers tingled. Just the very tips of his index and middle fingers, and he found them drawn together slightly. There was a soft pressure, like a thread was loosely wrapped around them. He was scowling at the screen as the tingling started to intensify again. With a growl he threw himself back from his desktop and raised the offending limb, glaring at his fingers. Emotions were swirling in his chest, and he felt close to snapping. They didn't make sense.

"Why won't you just cut it out?" He practically snarled, spreading and flexing his hands until the tingling numbed to a more soft, but no less annoying feeling.

His head twitched into the direction of the door downstairs as he heard the door click open. Once again he hadn't paid close attention to the time to try and ease the loneliness that was starting to sour each and every day.

"Welcome home Shiro." Keith shouted. Who else would be over? No one else lived here anymore. Mother and father were gone and hadn't been seen for three years, and Allura didn't come over unless Shiro was with her. It took a minute before Keith gave up with a sigh and pushed himself up from the chair. He would have to remember to send Allura an email later to explain the delay, not exactly something he was looking forward to.

He squinted, eyes adjusting quickly from his relatively dark room. He was rather subdued as he walked downstairs. He wasn't starving, but he was still looking forward to Shiro's after work snack. It wasn't the easiest to keep up with a werewolf's faster metabolism, especially around humans who were unaware of who they were. If someone say just how much they ate in a day, they would ask questions. But if they tried to eat a 'normal' amount, they felt sick from hunger half the day.

He felt his nose twitch as he caught a smell while he was walking into the kitchen. It was new, but somewhat familiar? It was confusing, but something was tickling at his memory. Even though he had been a werewolf for years now, he still found it hard to reign in his wolfish instincts, and without meaning to he found himself pressed against Shiro, gripping his shirt in two different spots to press the fabric to his nose where he sniffed it thoroughly.

Shiro paused, looking at him other with a raised eyebrow at his lack of manners. Keith didn't really care and let the almost faint scent wash over him, bringing the memories with it. Sparkling blue eyes, a mischievous grin and a tingling jolt of static that went straight through him.

"Hello to you too Keith. Have a good day hiding in your room?" Shiro rolled his eyes and went back to making the sandwich that was going to act as a light snack. Keith eventually gathered himself and removed himself from the shirt.

"Sorry..." He grumbled, cheeks tinted pink.

"So, want to tell me about last night?"

"I went to the park..."

"And ran into someone?"

"... Yeah."

"He visited me at work today." If Keith had been in wolf form, his ears would have wilted, tail tucking just the slightest. As a human though, his shoulders hunched to prepare himself for the scolding he was expecting. "He wasn't mad. In fact, he wants to try and be your friend. Maybe you should stop by the cafe some time?" Shiro dropped the not so subtle hint as he offered Keith the second sandwich.

Keith grunted as a reply, taking a bite to fill his mouth before he could say anything. Shiro saw through the indifference and rolled his eyes.

Keith couldn't deny just how happy the idea made him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this chapter is late, sorry about that. But life comes first, and family drama happened and my depression acted up. I just managed to finish the last bit of this chapter tonight. I didn't try to make it feel rushed, but I'm not sure how well I succeeded. Still going to try and keep the biweekly updates though, so the next tentative update will be May 30th! If I can get the next chapter done sooner, then I'll try and have it up for the 23rd. We'll see how well that goes.
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! They really help keep me going!


	5. Not a Ch, just an update and explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a rant of sorts, but it explains how I'll move in the future.

Hello anyone who is reading this, be you subscribed to this fic or not. But I have some news, and I feel that I owe an explanation.

I don't remember how much I said about this in the notes of TCM, but my mental health wasn't exactly in the best place when I started this fic. I was waiting to see my doctor about getting on some antidepressants, and then I did. It took awhile to hit what my dad calls the 'theraputic level', where the meds were in my systems and strong enough to work as they should. That took about 6 weeks, and in the first two I saw a lot of improvement. However, I'm pretty sure that was just a placebo effect and wishful thinking.

Though the meds have really helped a lot. I'm now limited with my episodes, maybe only having 2 or 3 a week, and the best part? They are usually mild, and much more easily go away on their own, or I can easily get some hugs, cuddles, and a little bit of self care and it passes. I'm still having soem really bad ones where I just can't seem to function, where all of my energy gets sapped out of me.

But back to my time line. 2 weeks of meds to start, went back to my doctor and got another 6 weeks. Then I was hit with a really bad case of writer's block. I could chat with my friends, but as soon as I started to work on my fic more, or even tried writing for a roleplay site I play on, I clammed up. It was like my fingers couldn't even touch the keyboard, even if I knew what I wanted to write.

Once I finally powered through my writer's block, here was an event on the site, and I focused my attention on that. I could at least deal with that even if I was having trouble writing for TCM. Once the event was over I really tried writing for her again. But even though I knew what I wanted to happen, how to word things, I just couldn't get back into the mindset for this fic. I thought I'd take a break, and try again. Still no dice. And even looking at stuff I have done recently, and looking back at this, I can see why. I know I wrote this, but the writing style is much more forced and stiff.

So I'm going to cut my losses, and try again. I'm going to restart TCM. The chapters may not be as long, and some things will most likely me different. But I'm going to restart this bad boy, and I'm going to make it better. I'll post here again once I've posted the new TCM, and I won't do that until I have a couple chapters ready for it.

I want to thank a couple people.

Thank you GCJH2002, whom I affectionately call my regular. You've comment on every chapter so far, even the one with lore that I put up. And so far, you have gotten to it usually within 24 hours of me posting it. Thank you for your support, it really helped motivated when I thought no one liked this fic.

And Taylor. Even if you were just encouraging me just because you liked the story and wanted to see more, your comments touched me. I'm sure everyone lives off of praise in some way, shape or form, but it isn't something I see often. And when I do, I brush it off thinking what I've done isn't important enough, isn't good enough, isn't big enough. But your comments brought me to happy tears, and I really hope you like the new TCM once it is ready. There will probably be a big difference in the feel to it, but I hope it'll be worth the wait.

And thank you everyone who left kudos when I thought I would barely recieve any.

I've learned, and now it is time to put it into action. I'll update her again when the new TCM is live, though I'm also going to be working on what I call my feel good fic titled Catch The Cat, a My Hero Academia fic. It'll follow an OC of mine and will be a mixture of a fic, and a group chat fic. I hope they won't be too far off. Until then, later guys and gals!


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